Ancient Greece (1750 B.C.- 133 B.C.)

by Clara Mao (G and R), Samantha Gilmore (E and A), and Ricky Birnbaum (T and S)

"Birthplace of Democracy"

Ancient Greece

G- Government

• Ancient Greece was made up of many independent city states called polis's that contained the city and the land surrounding it. Since these polis' had so many different laws and traditions, they fought over control of land and other resources.
• Athens
  • At first only an executive and a small group of rulers were in charge of Athens. In
    
    
    addition to this group was the Ecclesia, the Athenian Assembly, that had citizens from all four classes of wealth who acted like a court and voted on laws. The Council of Four Hundred was in charge of daily life in the polis. The only people who could participate in these groups were men who could trace their ancestors back to the founding of Athens.
  • After a change in law made by a ruler of Athens in 508 BC, any free white man living in the city was considered a citizen. In addition, a Council of Five Hundred was chosen by lottery and the the law added

    Athens

    power to the Ecclesia.
  • In Athens, people had the power, they were part of a form of democracy.
• Sparta
  • There were two kings from each of the two great ruling families of Sparta, a Council of Elders comprised of 28 nobles who made laws and decided court cases, a Spartan Assembly made of all male citizens that approved or rejected the Council's decisions, and five magistrates called ephors who were elected annually to oversee the military and the other groups.
  • By law, all boys from age seven had to be in the military until they retired. This meant that all the men involved in the government were all active or retired soldiers.

R- Religion

• Greeks were polytheistic and had many myths about all of their gods and goddesses. The leader of all the immortals was Zeus, God of the Skies, who ruled from Mount Olympus in northern Greece. His brothers were Poseidon, god of the seas, and Hades, god of the Underworld.
• In each polis, there was usually an acropolis with marble temples that were built to honor their god or goddesses. For example, in the Acropolis of Athens, they built the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom that Athens was named after.
• There were many festivals and parades to honor the Greek gods. Greeks often consulted oracles, priests, or priestesses that could "communicate with the gods".

Parthenon

E- Economy

These are sheeps and goats which were the most common type of livestock

• Athens: Economy placed an extreme importance on importing goods.
• They became skilled sailors carrying cargoes of olive oils, wine and marble.
• They carried their goods to Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia Minor.
• They returned with grains and metals
• Sheep and goats were the most common type of livestock
• Most of their goods were exchanged utilizing the barter system. This was a system of trading goods. or services for other goods and services.

A- Art

• Greek civilization felt very strongly about their architecture, sculptures, and paintings.
• They had a "classical" style of art, stretching for balance and perfection.
• Architects designed Minoan palaces to capture air and light. Opening the roof to let in sunlight and fresh air.
• The most famous Greek temple, the Parthenon, was dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its builders sought to convey a sense of perfect balance to reflect the harmony and order of the universe. The basic plan was a simple rectangle, with tall columns supporting a gently sloping roof. The delicate curves and placement of the columns added dignity and grace.
• Early Greek sculptors cared figures in rigid poses. Then they developed a new style that emphasized natural poses, such as athletes in motion. While their work was realistic, or lifelike, it was also idealistic. That is , sculptor carved gods, goddesses, athletes, and famous men in a way that showed individuals in their most perfect, graceful form.
• The only Greek paintings to survive are on vases and other pottery. They offer intriguing views on Greek life. Women carry water from wells, oarsmen row trading ships, warriors race into battle, and athletes compete in javelin contests. Also each scene is designed to fit the shape of the pottery perfectly.

This is a vase which shows an important scene that happened in that time period

T- Technology

• Ancient Greeks invented the Greek alphabet, democracy, theatre, the catapult, integral calculus, and types of architecture like the column.
• The Athenians believed that men needed to be educated mentally and physically. Boys from the ages 7 to 14 or 18 went to school to learn to play sports, to read and write, and to study Greek legends and music. Most women didn't get much of an education except learning to manage a home. Wealthy families could get tutors to teach their daughters.
• Spartans were mainly educated physically, but they also learned about Greek mythology and music. At the age of 7 Spartan boys live in a group that would all become spartan warriors with an older instructor or public gu

  Catapult

  ardian. The boys became tough, competitive, and obedient. The Spartan boys learned these important aspects of a great warrior by practicing in mock battles, brutal sports, races on land and in water, having a little amount of equipment and food, and traveling barefoot. The Spartan boys obeyed their guardians no matter what.
• Ancient Greeks used chariots, iron helmets, shields, armor, bronze making, clothes, and they also painted on their pottery.

S- Society

• Athenian society was split into several social classes: citizens (adult men), freemen (women and foreigners), and slaves.
• Spartan society had no real aristocracy. Every citizen was equal. Spartan men became tough soldiers, while spartan women stayed at home and gave birth to heathy children.
• Ancient Greece was split into many city-states. Each city-state was unique and different than the other city-states. City-states didn't always get along well with each other.
• Athenians are well known for having a wisdom society.
• Spartans are well known for having a very strong militarist society

Spartan Warrior

Ancient Greece was a haven for thinkers, artists, and scientists. From Ancient Greece, the modern world got magnificent architecture, the Olympics, and the idea of democracy. Greeks came up with many mathematical and scientific formulas we still use today. In everyday buildings, we see the influence of greek architecture in columns and in the balance of all the elements of the building. From the Greek philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle, we have ideas about life and forces of nature. One of the most significant contributions from the Greeks were the Olympics, sporting events that united the polis's together. Now, we have the Olympics every four years and countries from all over the world meet and compete. In addition, our idea of the "people's government" originated from Athens and can be seen in many countries today. Overall, the Greek influence in our lives today is very clear and can be seen in many aspects of life.